Captured (Voltron Legendary Defender)
by PenMelody
Summary: Pidge hated being cold, it was something she had picked up from Matt, she wondered if he had ever gone through this. She really hoped that he hadn't. -A Pidge is captured by Galra story-
1. Captured

Pidge used to like the colour purple. She used to be rather fond of the bold colour, going as far to decorate her bedroom in various shades of it. The colour used to bring her joy. Now it merely reminded her of the pain and suffering that happened under the rule of the decidedly purple themed Galra.

Purple was everywhere in this place, literally covering every available wall, floor, or ceiling. Even the lights glowed sinisterly in the same ugly colour. Pidge hated the lights in particular. As if the constant glow wasn't bad enough, the lights radiated some sort of energy. Sleep was impossible in these cells as long as the lights were on. The lights were never turned off.

At first she had attempted anyway, fooling herself into believing it was possible. Even going as far to shield her eyes from it with her hands, but the light did more than keep her awake forcefully. They also had some sort of energy sapping quality. After a few days, she could barely move on her own. Let alone move enough to block the offending glow. It was truly fascinating how the seemingly simple lights worked. But she still hated them.

Pidge shivered, an involuntary movement caused by her current lack of covering. Most of her clothing had been removed during her initial examination, leaving her in a thin singlet and her shorts. Pidge hated being cold, it was something she had picked up from Matt, she wondered if he had ever gone through this. She really hoped that he hadn't.

She was being moved today, the robotic voice of the drone had told her so. She thought it rather polite for telling her, but she still wanted to beat its ass into the harsh, purple flooring of the metal ship. She wondered if she would be hit today, one of the druids favourite pass times. They seemed to find glee in watching the red hand prints either fade into nothing or darken into bruises. In this way she could entertain herself for hours on end. It was a rather painful pass time for her victim, but Pidge tried to not let it bother her. She was a Paladin of Voltron, she could handle a few hits.

Her cell door opened and she didn't bother to look up. It would drain her of vital energy she had attempted to conserve. Hands reached out to her and she snarled before biting one of them. Unfortunately the hand belonged to a metal being, and thus produced no results.

Well, no results apart from the muzzle that now adorned her face and the sedative she had been given. Within seconds she was out. Her last thoughts of wrong dosages and death by sedation being a very peaceful way to go.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the dosage did not kill her. She awoke in a small tent like structure, bound and still muzzled. She thought morbidly of another situation that her current state of dress pertained too. If she had been able, she would have let out a bitter laugh, she settled for a rather undignified snort. Pidge shifted in an attempt to get more comfortable as another robotic guard entered. She was rather annoyed that they did not think her worthy of a flesh and blood Galra warden. The droid injected another sedative into her arm and Pidge sighed as she felt it taking effect, making her already sluggish body even more difficult to use. She closed her eyes, praying to all the gods she knew that her team would find her, and rescue her from her own personal, purple hell.


	2. Rescued

Pidge had never felt more alone than she did right now. She had been in isolation for days, her only company the bugs and parasites she was pretty sure now resided in her dirty, blackened hair. It tickled her shoulders a bit, giving her the impression that she might look a little like Keith. She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. She stared again at the dirt beneath her. Upon their second visit the guards had strung her up like a slaughtered pig. Her arms had long since lost feeling in them from lack of blood. She closed her eyes, attempting to drift back into the comforting break of sleep, where she could escape her mutinous thoughts. Alas it was not meant to be as a rustle from outside drew the attention of her fuzzy brain.

"Hello?"

Pidge just stared at the canvas wall that the voice was coming from. She wished now, more than ever that she hadn't attempted to bite the druid. Then she might be able to respond to the tired, yet curious voice of her older brother. She allowed herself to cry, her whimpers echoing through the silence.

"Shhh, don't cry!" The voice said, mildly bewildered. Pidge sobbed, craving the support of her brother. A brother who didn't even know who she was. She listened as Matt attempted to calm her, even when he didn't know he was talking to. Eventually her tears subsided, leaving her both physically and emotionally exhausted. She slipped into slumber, promises of return visits reaching her before she was pulled into the blissful unawareness of sleep.

As promised, Matt returned. She fought her latest dose of sedative in order to listen to him speak. He rambled about everything, from the weather ("terrible, as always") to the colour of his uniform ("I look like a bloody grape"). Pidge responded all she could, gentle moans and rustling fabric. It wasn't much, but it was all she could manage with the upped dose of sedative they gave her. She rather thought that the Galra didn't really want to deal with her. She was merely bait for the other paladins. She tried not to think about anything when Matt talked to her. The dark thoughts could wait for the early morning hours.

She looked forward to Matt's daily visit, eventually he started bringing his father as well. Pidge cried in joy at the revelation that they were both alive. Matt didn't understand why she sobbed but he did his best to comfort her anyway.

As the days wore on it became harder for Pidge to focus. The lack of food and the excess of medically induced exhaustion took its toll on her. She found that over time the ropes straining to hold her up lost some of their tightness. And she edged closer to the ceiling each day, her weight no longer a problem for the thick Galra strings. She wondered how much longer she would last.

Matt was talking to her, and something made loud laser like noises in the distance. Matt spoke in hurried tones. Sam listening for any sort of response from within. She was trying really, but nothing was cooperating. She heard footsteps approaching her prison and Matt and Sam gasped. She didn't really have the energy to wonder what was going on.

"I can only fit one more in my lion" the voice said, sounding pained that it would have to leave some people behind. It was silent for a moment before her family spoke again.

"Take the one in the tent, we don't know how much longer the prisoner will survive." She heard the sounds of a bayard powering up and she smiled. She kept her eyes closed as her prison was slashed apart by her fellow arm.

A gasp came from her family, she supposed she must look pretty awful. It was honestly no surprise that Keith no longer recognised her.

"Do you know who they are?" Keith asked, gently getting her free from the restraints. Still she remained still, not even attempting the useless movement in her weakened state. She felt herself being lifted into Keith's arms and she whimpered slightly as her battered body protested.

"Sorry," Matt said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, "we have no idea."

Keith said nothing and Pidge assumed he must have nodded his understanding.

She tried to hold in her whimpers as she was transported to the ship. Making it as easy for Keith as she possibly could. Finally they made it to Red.

Pidge would have cried if she had the energy. Instead she vowed to return for her family, her determination reignited by her last few weeks. She would save them.

She had to.


	3. Revelations

It was cold. She didn't like cold. Pidge shivered as she attempted to move through the gel like substance around her, anything to relieve herself of the harsh unforgiving chill of what she was pretty sure must be a healing pod. She needed to get out, to her teammates. She needed to be fixing green and making plans to save her brother. Not here in the all-encompassing ice of the Altean healing devices. She wanted to get out! She needed to get out! Out!

Something hissed and she braced herself for the impact of the harsh, and frosty floor of the infirmary. Why was everything cold? Why couldn't she get warm? Something must have caught her, because the pain she was expecting didn't come, instead a pair of strong arms lifted her into a semi standing position. It was rather like a hug, and pidge found that whatever had grabbed her was not cold. She liked the warm thing.

"My name is Hunk, you've been rescued from the Galra camp, can you tell me your name?"

Pidge attempted to open her eyes, finding that the glowing light reminded her horribly of her time within the purple cells. She whimpered and held on to hunk. The yellow man hugged her back, noticing the way the prisoners' arms didn't seem to reach all the way around. The sensation was strangely familiar. Hunks eyes widened at the revelation.

"Oh lord, pidge is that you?"

Pidge just hugged him tighter, letting herself fall into a troubled sleep.

Hunk took a moment to steady himself before setting pidge down on one of the beds in the infirmary. He tried to stay calm as he shook her shoulders, attempting to wake her from a slumber that Hunk was sure would do more harm than good.

"Guys, I need help in the infirmary!" Hunk cried into the coms, noting the feverish warmth to Pidges skin. Gently he grabbed a sponge and began the process of hopefully wiping the blood and grime from her, hoping that the water would cool her down.

The other paladins rushed into the room, bayards drawn. When no danger revealed itself they moved over to Hunk. Coran immediately began a medical examination.

"Is that the unnamed prisoner Keith found?" Shiro asked, moving in order to get a better look. Hunk stared in to Shiro's eyes, hope and also anguish filling them.

"Shiro I – I think it's Pidge" Hunk informed, tears beginning to fill his eyes.

Keith stared in horror as a small gasp of shock slipped from his mouth, he had not told the paladins how he had found this particular prisoner. It had not been important at the time. He remembered the tent, the dirt and blood. The small body he had found suspended from the ceiling, wrists chaffed and arms pale, unable to support themselves even with Keith's help. He was torn between hope that they had finally found pidge, and yet he was also tormented by the idea. He didn't want to believe that the half dead person hanging by their hands was his youngest teammate. He didn't want them to be the same person.

Hunk finished cleaning the face and they all began to tear up at what was revealed. Pidge looked horrible, and had almost healed bruises on her face alone. But there was no denying it any longer. There in front them was their youngest team mate, still and unmoving in a deep sleep.

Hunk lifted the sleeping girl into a hug, Lance moving to hold her hand.

"When do you think she'll wake up?" Keith asked, determined that when the time came, he would be there for his teammate, he knew more than the others what she had been subjected to, and he would help her through it.

But Coran sighed as he examined her.

"I'm not sure when she will wake" He admitted, smoothing down some of her now clean hair. The other paladins nodded, and settled in for a night beside her bed.


	4. Awakening

It was warm, that was the first thing that pidge noticed as her mind tried to slip back into consciousness. The warmth seemed to be heavier around her hand and arm, and a gentle voice spoke in calming, and soothing tones. Yet the words made no sense to her. What were they saying? Where was she? And who was with her? Her questions remained unanswered as the calm voice lulled her back into nothingness.

When the warmth pulled her out again, someone was singing. It was loud and off key. She wanted to tell them to stop, and that she had a headache. Her attempts were futile. She couldn't seem to form the words. She couldn't find her mouth, she had forgotten how. The singing stopped suddenly and warmth once again encased her arm. She tried to fight the inevitable, but soon fell back into slumber.

The third time she came to she was in pain. She screamed and she felt something hold her down. She didn't want to be held down! She didn't want to go into the cell again! She struggled and something reached out to touch her cheek. She bit down as hard as she could, causing her would be attackers to screech as she lost the battle to stay awake.

She was back in the Galra camp, hanging by thick strings she knew all too well. She was waiting for a voice, a voice that kept her sane. But the soothing tones of her brother never came, instead a Galra robot dragged her family into the tent. She screamed, her father turned to her with sadness and deep disappointment in his eyes.

"How could you let this happen Katie? Why didn't you rescue us?" He pleaded, right before he fell to the ground dead. She cried out and looked to Matt, he glared at her before he too fell to the ground.

"No! No I'm sorry!" She sobbed, she wanted to close her eyes, to look away from the horrible scene in front of her. But she couldn't tear her eyes away, and she continued to sob as the image of her brother and father dead at her feet burned itself into her brain.

Her return to consciousness was sudden, and she gasped as she emerged from what felt to be a deep lake. She lay there, eyes closed panting for oxygen. A voice called out to her and she sobbed.

"No, no more" She whimpered. Someone brushed her hair back and she sighed as she drifted once again into a fitful sleep.

When she woke again the lights seemed dimmer, but she still refused to open her eyes. She wouldn't let the Galra win. She would not open her eyes to their horrible light. Determined, she slipped back into the bliss of sleep.

Someone was stroking her cheek gently, callouses disrupting the natural smoothness to the warm skin. She liked the hand, it was big, and it made her feel safe. She didn't want them to stop. She tried to see who it was but only managed to move her head closer to the warm hand. Someone shouted and she mourned the loss of the warmth as the blackness pulled her under.

She was too hot, she felt sticky. Pidge liked warm, but this was unbearable. She felt as if she was burning. The heat on her skin reminding her horribly of the Galran camp. She didn't want to be at the camp. The camp was bad. She squirmed and something cooler than her skin dripped down her face. She realised she was crying. She flinched as something wiped away the tears but then leant in to the warm touch that she liked. The hand was smaller than last time, and the skin held no callouses, but it had the same gentleness. The hand pulled her into a sitting position and she felt herself being hugged. She liked the feeling. She let herself slip into sleep once more.

She was tired, and she wanted nothing more than to slip back into the forced unconsciousness she had been enduring for days now. But something was annoying her, a hand grasped hers tightly, it was too tight. She tried to pull her hand away, but she didn't know if it had worked.

"Pidge? Are you with me?" Someone asked. She frowned. Who was pidge? Was that her? She thought maybe it was, the named seem familiar.

"Pidge it's Keith, can you hear me?" She knew that name, it made her think about red. She liked that colour, so far from the purple that seemed to surround her even in her dreams. She pictured a mullet and felt her lips move into an involuntary smile. Something grabbed her hand and she attempted to squeeze it. The man called Keith squeezed back.

When she awoke again, her mind seemed a little clearer. She could hear the gentle rustle of fabric as someone straightened her sheets. The rustling stopped and Pidge strained to listen as the person moved beside her. The person ran a hand through her matted hair and she leaned into the touch. The person gasped but continued their stroking.

"H-Hunk" Pidge groaned. The hand stopped and she felt rustling fabric again.

"Yeah it's me little buddy" Hunk replied and pidge began to open her eyes. But the lights continued to glare so she squeezed her eyes shut again.

"Hunk, don't stop" Pidge pleaded, already feeling her conscience beginning to fade.

"Pidge! Stay with me!" Hunk said quickly, already calling for the other paladins.

She tried, she really did. But it was exhausting. She slipped back into sleep.

She awoke next to many people talking around her. She let the words wash over her, soothing her frantic mind. She felt green give her the mental strength to listen to what was being said.

"She was awake, she even said my name" It seemed like she hadn't been out for long. As the paladins were still sweaty from their run to the medical bay.

"It's an improvement" another voice answered. Pidge listened to her team speak, letting their voices wash over her. They kept her awake, washing away the eternal darkness she had come to expect. She was oh so tired, but this time she was able to stay awake. A hand brushed her hair back and she attempted to lean into the touch. She smiled and attempted to open her eyes but whimpered at the bright lights above her.

"Pidge?" Someone whispered next to her as the others continued their conversation. She squeezed the hand that had grasped hers and felt it stiffen in her hold.

"Guys, I think she's awake again!" A voice she now recognised as Hunks called. She curled into the warm touch of hunk, using her other hand to try and hide her eyes from the evil light.

"Pidge can you hear me?" She tried to respond, but she felt herself loosing again. She focused on greens calm as she began to once again slip into dreams. But she was interrupted. As the first of the blackness began to creep in, she was forced awake by the castle alarms.

The Galra had found them.


	5. Moments

Pidge was very cold. Yet sweat adorned her brow on more occasions than not. She was in a bad way, feverish and unresponsive. The paladins had stayed beside her bed for a few days, before Allura had forcefully ejected them from the room. Even then they made sure that someone was beside her at all times, they didn't want her to wake by herself. Keith especially was against leaving her alone. The others seemed confused by his sudden protective streak, but Keith ignored them, instead spending his time training, or holding the unconscious paladins hand as she slept.

Hunk also spent a lot of time with her, although he often spent the early morning hours with her. It wasn't uncommon for him to find Shiro there. Hunk spent a good portion of these visits convincing Shiro to go to bed. Eventually it became routine. Hunk would take over for Shiro, Lance would take over from hunk. Keith would come sit with her in the late afternoon, and in turn would be replaced by Shiro who stayed there until the early hours of the morning. Hunk would force him to bed and the cycle would continue. Team training stopped for the time being, it didn't feel right without their smallest paladin with them.

Shiro liked to run his flesh arm up and down pidges. He remembered Matt doing the same for him once when he had come down with a minor cold on their way to Kerberos. He wasn't sure if pidge could feel it, but it made him feel better to know he was at least providing some sort of comfort.

Lance often rambled to the sleeping girl, hugging her arms as he told her stories of his family. At one point he remembered a song his mother used to sing. Pidge wasn't the best audience but lance sang anyway. If she was awake pidge probably would have told him to shut up by now.

Keith would be the first to experience one of the green paladins' nightmares. It had been silent in the room, nothing but the gentle his of the ventilation. But the peace was interrupted by a piercing scream from the girl in the bed. She had thrashed about and accidentally cut herself on the edge of the bed. He reached out to hold her down, to prevent her from hurting herself further. Left with no other options, Pidge (in her deliriousness) had bitten down hard on his arm. He had cried out but held his ground. Keith sighed in relief when he felt her body go slack under him. Gingerly he searched through the cabinets for some antiseptic, bandaging his arm and resuming his post. He was ok, he didn't blame pidge at all.

Hunk was the next to experience a nightmare. The girl beside him had woken suddenly, whimpering and curling herself into the fetal position. Hunk had called out to her. But she didn't seem to hear him. He felt his heart break at her whispered words.

"No, no more" She had sobbed before slipping back into her dreams. He had picked her up and hugged her until Shiro had come to swap with him.

It was a few days later when both Shiro and Hunk were in the room that it seemed that Pidge had a breakthrough. Hunk had been watching Pidge intently for the past few minutes, noting the way Pidge's eyelids were twitching ever so slightly. It was the most movement she had made in days. Shiro had come to sit beside him, stroking her cheek in an attempt to gently bring her around. Hunk saw her tilt her head towards him and cried out in joy. Shiro pulled his hand back in shock and pidge ceased to move.

Lance had once emerged from the room and shot straight into the yellow paladins' arms. He shook with barely restrained emotion as Hunk lead him to the lounge, sitting them both down on the comfortable seating.

"She was crying, she's not even awake. What is she seeing that's making her cry, even as she sleeps?" He had sobbed, clutching tighter to his best friend. Hunk merely stroked his back and whispered soothing words to Lance. They slept in the lounge.

In the end it was Keith who saw pidges first smile since her rescue. He had been holding her hand when he had felt it twitch within his grasp.

"Pidge are you with me?" She had frowned at the question, giving Keith hope that maybe he was reaching her through her sleep.

"Pidge it's Keith? Can you hear me?" Nothing changed, but then ever so slightly a small smile had stretched across her face and Keith had once again reached for her hand. She squeezed it, Keith barely noticing the added pressure. He squeezed back just as the hand went slack within his.

Hunk had been fixing her bed sheets when it had happened. He had finished his job and moved back up to her head, running a hand through her hair tenderly as she slept. He had gasped when pidge seemed to lean into the touch, but continued stroking. He didn't want to lose her again, and he knew that somehow, his movement was reaching her.

"H-hunk?" Hunk froze for a moment before pulling her sheets up a bit.

"Yeah it's me little buddy" Her eyes twitched for a moment as if they were going to open. But then she sighed and leaned her head closer to him.

"Hunk, don't stop" Hunk immediately resumed his stroking, anything for Pidge.

"Pidge! Stay with me!" Hunk said as he saw her face start to relax. Panicked he called for the other paladins. He saw her frown one more time before she slipped under again, just as the paladins ran in.

The other paladins took places around her bed, talking of Pidge and her condition.

"She was awake, she even said my name" Hunk had said, his left hand balled into a fist as his right continued to move through Pidge's hair.

"It's an improvement" Shiro agreed. The others continued to speak as hunk stared into Pidges face. Her eyelids were twitching again.

"Pidge?" He whispered, gently trying to bring her round. Lance gasped and immediately dropped the hand he had been holding. Hunk assumed that pidge must have squeezed it.

"Guys, I think she's awake again!" Hunk said. The others crowded around, overjoyed at the possibility that she might be awakening. It was Keith that realised she was slipping out again and squeezed her hand, letting her know that it was ok, and that they would wait for her.

Suddenly the castle alarms went off, shocking everyone into action.

"Lock the doors! Make sure no one can get in!" Shiro ordered before running out to meet Allura on the bridge.

The Galra were here.


	6. Determination

Her limbs were heavy with sleep, gravity seeming to increase on her already leaden appendages as she groaned quietly at the inconvenient extra weight she was apparently burdened with. She huffed as she gently rolled her stiff muscles over so that she might lay on her stomach, making it easier to escape the bed that seemed intent to hold her hostage. It went well until she seemed to run out of bed, landing instead on the cold floor. She let out an involuntary whimper as her tender muscles screamed in protest. She forced pained tears back as she gripped the bed post, pulling herself into a slouched, sort of upright position. She braced herself before letting go, slowly and carefully moving to the locked door, which was quickly disabled. She used the wall to make her way from the infirmary, intent on getting to her teammates. It was slow going, but she was determined to get to green. She was fine really.

She debated heading to green in her barely dressed state, altean hospital garments being similar to those of earth. However she decided that she would rather be late and prepeared than on time and dead, making the well worth it detour to her quarters. It took her a good fifteen minutes to get there, and she had needed to have rest periods throughout. But she forged on, slowly traversing the halls to her waiting lion.

As she got closer, she felt greens presence strengthen in her mind. Filling her with the strength she needed to continue on. When she finally reached green she jammed her helmet on her head, wincing at the panicked voices of her teammates.

"Hunk watch out!"

"Shiro they have a tractor beam"

"Stay out of range!"

Pidge shut them out, focusing instead on righting green from their brief battle with the edge of the hanger. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear it, she repositioned green, hoping to make it out the hanger without incident on her second attempt. When she finally got out of the castle she flicked a switch and felt satisfaction well within her. Pidge smiled as she felt, rather than saw green slowly disappearing from sight.

"Shiro they got me!"

"Lance! I got you!"

"Shiro! What do we do?"

Pidge tried to call out to them, only producing a scratchy hiss. She raised a hand to her throat, feeling the scared tissue that must have come from the muzzle like device. She supposed she should be thankful she had a voice it all. It wasn't painful, and pidge felt relief well in her at the realisation that the harsh sounds that escaped her throat were probably from lack of use, water, and energy rather than an injury. Pidge guided her lion to the underside of the ship, noting the identical layout of this ship and the first Galra warship they had battled. It wouldn't take her long to find the prisoners.

Slowly pidge crept about the lower levels of the battle ship, some force within her was absolutely certain that her dad and brother were on this ship. It was similar to her connection with the lion, but less "freaky altean magic" like.

Pidge finally reached her destination, inching forward on her stomach in order to stay out of sight. When the time was right she shot her Bayard, taking out the one guard standing in her way. As she stepped past she noted the blood on the floor. Pidge knew she should feel guilty for killing him, but she wasn't. She forcefully hit the button that would allow her entry to the cells. There was only two doors in front of her, this was probably where the prisoners were. She fiddled with the control panel, which she found close to the floor. Rather than bending she allowed herself to slide down the metal wall, bringing her closer to the panel and also allowing herself a small rest period. She finished her work and the first door opened, revealing a group of mildly shocked prisoners. Among them, standing out the front as if protecting the rest, was her brother.

She watched as Matt stared round the room, trying to locate the one who had opened the doors. She must have blacked out for a second, because the next thing she knew a whoosh was sounding as the other door opened, due to her falling on the button she had intended to press anyway. Whatever.

"Dad!" Matt yelled, and Pidge forced herself to look up as her brother and father embraced. She tried to stand but ended up laying on the floor, a strange, blue tinged alien with a stranger amount of eyes looking down at her. The alien growled out something that sounded vaguely like English, and pidge guessed that her translating systems were on the fritz. A hand waved in front of her face, pulling her from her distracted musing, and she smiled under her helmet as she grasped her father's hand.

"You wear the paladin armour" Sam stated, hauling her to her feet. Pidge nodded, unintentionally grasping her father's hand as she swayed momentarily.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked, stepping forward to stand beside his father. Pidge nodded, resisting the urge to throw herself into their arms. Despite how much she longed to tell them it was her, she stayed quiet. Reunions would have to wait, she didn't have time. Besides, doing so would waste vital energy. Energy she would need to get them all out of here safely.

She could have an emotional breakdown later, when she finished getting everyone out of this hellish war ship.


End file.
